CHAP. IX. Paffage from Otaheite to Tinian, with fome Account of feveral other Islands that were difcovered in the South Seas. HAVD AVING made fail from King George the Third's. Iland, we proceeded along the fhore of the Duke of York's Ifland, at the distance of about two miles. There appeared to be good bays in every part of it, and in the middle a fine harbour; but I did not think it worth while to go on. fhore. The middle and weft end is very mountainous, the caft end is lower, and the coaft juft within the beach is covered with cocoa-nut, bread-fruit, apple, and plantain trees. 1767. July. Monday 27. At day-light, the next morning, we faw land, for which Tuesday 28. we made fail, and ran along the lee-fide of it. On the weather-side there were very great breakers, and the lee-fide. was rocky, but in many places there appeared to be good anchorage. We faw but few inhabitants, and they appeared to live in a manner very different from those of King George's Island, their habitations being only fmall huts. We faw many cocoa-nut and other trees upon the fliore; but all of them had their heads blown away, probably in a hurricane. This island is about fix miles long, and has a mountain of confiderable height in the middle, which feems to be fertile. It lies in latitude 17° 28′ S. and longitude, by our last observation, 151°4′ W. and I called it SIR CHARLES Sir Charles SAUNDERS'S ISLAND. Saunders's On the 29th, the variation of the compafs, by azimuth, Wednes. 29. was 7° 52′ E.; and early the next morning, at day-break, we Thursday 30. faw land bearing from N. by E. to N. W.. We stood for it, but could find no anchorage, the whole island being fur 1767. July. rounded by breakers. We faw fmoke in two places, but no inhabitants. A few cocoa-nut trees were growing on the Thursday 30 lee-part of it, and I called it LORD How's ISLAND. It is about ten miles long, and four broad, and lies in latitude 16° 46′ S. longitude, by obfervation, 154° 13′ W. Ifland. In the afternoon, we faw land bearing W. by N. and stood for it. At five o'clock, we faw breakers running a great way out to the fouthward, and foon after, low land to the S. W. and breakers all about it in every direction. We turned to windward all night, and as foon as it was light, crowded fail to get round these fhoals. At nine we Scilly Islands. got round them, and named them SCILLY ISLANDS. They are a group of islands or fhoals extremely dangerous; for in the night, however clear the weather, and by day, if it is hazey, a fhip may run upon them without feeing land: They lie in latitude 16° 28′ S. longitude 155° 30′ W. Auguft. 2 We continued to fleer our courfe weftward, till day-break Thursday 13. on the 13th of Auguft, when we faw land bearing W. by S. and hauled towards it. At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, we faw more land in the W. S. W. At noon, the firft land that we faw, which proved to be an island, bore W. S. distant about five leagues, and had the appearance of a sugar loaf; the middle of the other land, which was also an island, and appeared in a peak, bore W. S. W. diftant fix leagues. To the firft, which is nearly circular, and three miles over, I gave the name of BOSCAWEN'S ISLAND; and the other, which is three miles and a half long, and two broad, I called KEPPEL'S ISLE. Port Royal at this time bore E. 4° 10 ́ S. diftant 478 leagues. Boscawen's Keppel's Ifle. At two o'clock, being about two miles diftant from Bofcawen's Island, we faw feveral of the inhabitants; but Keppel's Ifle being to windward, and appearing more likely to afford us anchorage, we hauled up for it. At fix, it was not more |